


Don't Leave Me Like This

by lornrocks



Category: Fandom: Heroes
Genre: Angst, M/M, Romance, SO, Sadness, Slash, Timeline, also i love peter, but i do terrible things to him, characterdeath, it's based on a single man, petlar, pylar, reverse storytelling, sorry - Freeform, this one is sad guys, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-16 00:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/855806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lornrocks/pseuds/lornrocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Briefly, he entertains the notion of digging the gun out of the bedside table and seeing if he can make it stick this time, but something in the back of his head tells him that </i>he<i> wouldn't like that.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Leave Me Like This

**The end.**

"It doesn't have to be like this," she says, and Gabriel just laughs, a harsh sound breaking through the silence.

"Go through what I've been through and we'll see how happy you are at the end of the day, Claire."

He can tell she's staring at him, trying to decide what to say, but in the end, she huffs out a sigh and walks away. A second later, the door is heard slamming shut. He goes back to staring down at the coffee in front of him, long gone cold, and for a second, has to swallow down the sudden wave of nausea that overtakes him. He knows it's irrational, to be upset after so long, but...

...It doesn't matter.

If he wants to be upset about it, then God dammit, he will be. Briefly, he entertains the notion of digging the gun out of the bedside table and seeing if he can make it stick this time, but something in the back of his head tells him that _he_ wouldn't like that. So he doesn't.

He dumps the coffee into the sink and leaves the cup there, not even bothering to rinse it out. He turns, meaning to walk over to the bedroom, but a faint noise interrupts his reverie. It's coming from upstairs, a familiar song that makes Gabriel stand perfectly still.

The last time he heard that song... _he_ was playing it, a faint smile on his face and a devilish look in his eyes.

Gabriel can't make it to the bedroom soon enough before he's collapsed on to the bed, silent sobs racking his body as he remembers everything and fuck if it doesn't hurt every single time.

Later, when he's able to breathe normally again, he stares up at the ceiling and blinks. His face feels stiff from the dried tears, and his head is pounding, but he can't bring himself to do anything about it.

He can't sleep either, because every time he does, he has the same recurring dream.

_Snow is falling on a field of dead grass, and Gabriel is trying to move but something is holding him back. There's a man, lying in the middle of the field, and rivers of red are coming from nowhere, filling up the whole field and coloring it crimson. He falls and wakes with a start._

Gabriel reaches across the bed and touches the other side, feeling a new heaviness settle in his chest.

"Oh Peter," he whispers, his voice cracking, "Why did you have to leave?"

**Then.**

There's thunder, rumbling somewhere in the distance, but no matter how much he looks, he can't see the lightening that goes with it. The air is still, and he can't hear anything, no matter how hard he tries to. He runs, flattening dead grass under his feet, until he comes upon a deserted playground. Vaguely, he makes out the shape of a man, lying on the ground, and realization sinks in.

It takes too long, like he's trying to run through water that keeps pushing against him, but finally, he reaches the sullen form and he has to bite his lip to keep from crying out.

Peter is sprawled on the grass, one hand resting over his head, the other curled into a fist by his face. His face is turned away from Gabriel; When Gabriel gently pushes it towards him, he can't hold back the sudden cry that escapes his lips.

Right above Peter's left eyebrow is one small, perfect hole. Gabriel doesn't have to look to know that there's a larger one on the other side of Peter's skull. He just knows.

He can just make out footsteps, rapidly gaining from behind him, and he knows Claire has found them. She makes a noise like it was her that was shot, and he clenches his eyes shut and tries to block out her cries.

He rocks the still form in his arms back and forth and wishes to God it hadn't ended like this, not before he could tell Peter how much he loved him one last time, not before-

Claire's hand is on his shoulder before he even realizes he's been saying those things out loud, and they cry together.

**Before.**

"I can't run forever, Gabriel."

Peter is staring at him, face stern and arms crossed. Gabriel doesn't want to listen, he fiddles with the watch in his hand, and he knows he's making the other man upset, but he can't bear to so much as _think_ about something like this.

"Fine," Peter says. "I'm going to go over there."

He disappears, and it's only after the door slams shut that Gabriel feels like he's just been stabbed in the heart.

He knows that someone is after Peter, someone is looking for him because over the years, he's made a few enemies. But he's too afraid to start something, afraid that no matter what he does, that he'll lose Peter, and the thought- God, it kills him. He needs Peter so much, and he knows he's weak but he can't stop it, not after seven years together.

He should have went with him, protected him-

He wouldn't know until later that Peter goes missing after that.

**Sometime.**

"I'm in love with you," Peter is saying, staring at him from the next seat over on the train. Gabriel swallows.

"Peter, I-" he begins, but he can't seem to articulate exactly what he means into words. He just looks at the other man and replies, "You know everything, don't you?"

They kiss and it's different than it used to be, and he could care less if the old woman across from them is scowling. They get off at their stop and hurry home as fast as they can, until they're both sprawled across Peter's bed- probably their bed, now- and he can't stop talking, telling Peter how beautiful he is and how good this all feels.

Afterwards, Gabriel is shaking, and he can't believe he is, but Peter just wraps his arms around him and kisses him just so.

"We're okay," he whispers, and Gabriel buries his face into the other man's neck, feeling his heartbeat slow down again, and he replies, "I love you too, Peter, so much," and Peter squeezes him tighter and they fall asleep, a good start to their new lives together.

**The beginning.**

Gabriel moves into Peter's apartment and they live together, becoming friends as time goes by. Every so often, he'll catch Peter watching him, a lingering glance, and their eyes will meet and they'll just look at each other, until something distracts them and they look away.

He's not sure what it means, but he knows what he wants it to mean. He wants to be with Peter, to be the one that Peter comes home to at night, the one that will tell Peter how incredible he is every day. He can't figure out how to tell Peter, though, and he's scared, scared that Peter will hate him for it or they'll try it out and it'll end badly- so many things, but Gabriel knows deep down inside they're bullshit reasons to not give something a try.

He settles for what they have, until one night they're both laying across Peter's bed, just being in the same space, when Peter reaches over and very gently touches Gabriel's hand with his own and gingerly, Gabriel tangles their fingers together, and they lay like that until they fall asleep.

Around 5 am a car alarm wakes them both up and for a moment, neither of them speak, until Peter turns on his side to mimic the other man's position, and smiles, just a hint of an upturn to his lips, and Gabriel smiles back.

They press together and kiss, just as the sun's first rays come through the window, the world going on around them, but they're too lost in each other to notice. A single beam of light splashes across Peter's face, and Gabriel realizes that this, this is is the one thing he never wants to lose. Sighing, he leans back down and capture's Peter's lips again, content in his life for the first time.

**Author's Note:**

> Written a long time ago for LJ.


End file.
